Introduction

For location-based businesses — from restaurants and plumbers to law firms and boutiques — visibility in your local market is everything. When potential customers in your area search for the products or services you offer, you want your business to appear front and center.

That’s where local SEO comes in.

Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on reaching a broad audience, local SEO is all about helping your business rank higher in search results for people near you — whether they’re looking on Google Maps, searching “near me,” or browsing on their phones. In fact, according to Google, over 75% of people who conduct a local search visit a store within 24 hours, and nearly 30% of those searches result in a purchase.

But local SEO isn’t just about showing up. It’s about showing up in the right places, with the right information, and making the best possible impression on searchers.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through all the proven SEO strategies to help your location-based business dominate local search — from optimizing your website and Google Business Profile to building reviews, citations, and more. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to fine-tune your efforts, you’ll find actionable steps here to improve your visibility and attract more local customers.

Let’s dive in.

1. Understanding Local SEO

Before you can improve your local search presence, you need to understand what local SEO really is and how it works.

Local SEO is the practice of optimizing your online presence so that your business shows up prominently when people nearby search for your products or services. This applies whether they’re typing your city or neighborhood into Google (“best pizza in Brooklyn”) or just searching for something nearby (“plumber near me”) — especially on mobile or maps.

How Search Engines Decide Who Ranks Locally

Search engines like Google use three main factors to decide which businesses appear in local results:

• Relevance — How closely your business matches what someone is searching for. If they search for “vegan bakery,” and you’re a vegan bakery, your relevance is high.
• Distance — How close your business is to the person searching or to the location they specify. Even if your business is relevant, if it’s far away, it may rank lower.
• Prominence — How well-known and trusted your business is, both online and offline. This includes factors like reviews, backlinks, citations, and mentions.

Understanding these factors helps you see where to focus your efforts. If you’re not ranking well, it could be because your website doesn’t clearly tell search engines what you offer, your contact information is inconsistent, or you haven’t built up enough online authority yet.

The goal of local SEO is simple: to make it as easy as possible for people nearby to find you — and choose you — when they need what you offer.

In the next section, I’ll cover how to set the foundation for a strong local SEO campaign, starting with the right keywords and a smart look at my competitors.

2. Setting the Foundation

Before you can climb to the top of the local search results, you need to build a strong foundation. This means understanding how people in your area search, what your competitors are doing, and how you can position yourself to stand out.

I’ve broken this down into two crucial steps: keyword research and competitor analysis.

Keyword Research for Local Search

The first step is figuring out which words and phrases your potential customers are actually typing into Google. Without the right keywords, it’s easy to waste time optimizing for terms no one is searching — or for ones that don’t bring in qualified leads.

Here’s how I recommend you approach local keyword research:

• Find geo-modified keywords. These are terms that include your city, neighborhood, or region. For example: “wedding photographer in Austin” or “emergency dentist Chicago.”
• Combine your services with locations. If you offer multiple services or cover several areas, map out all the combinations — like “roof repair Dallas” or “AC installation Plano.”
• Look for “near me” searches. These have exploded in popularity thanks to mobile searches and GPS. These help you rank in the Google map pack, but you want to omit the “near me” part, and replace it with “near” or “in [area name]”.
• Focus on long-tail keywords. These are longer, more specific phrases like “best gluten-free bakery downtown Seattle” that often have less competition and higher intent.

I recommend tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to discover and prioritize your keywords. Pay close attention to search volume and competition/keyword difficulty (KD) — you want terms that enough people search for, but that you have a realistic chance of ranking for.

As a side note, there are no cheap options on the market for keyword research. If you’re doing keyword research, just go with one of the above-mentioned; they’re costly, but they’re the best.

Competitor Analysis

Next, it’s time to see what your competitors are doing — and how you can do it better.

Here’s the process I use:

• Search for your target keywords. Look at which businesses are ranking in both the regular organic results and the local map pack.
• Visit their websites. Notice how they talk about their services, what keywords they include, and whether they have dedicated pages for each location or service.
• Analyze their Google Business Profile. Check out their photos, reviews, posts, and Q&A to see what’s working for them.
• Look at their backlinks. Tools like Ahrefs or Semrush can help you see where their backlinks come from — which can give you ideas for your own link-building strategy.

By understanding the landscape, you can identify gaps and opportunities — like under-served keywords, weaker competitors in certain areas, or citation sites they haven’t claimed yet.

With a solid understanding of your keywords and competitors, you’ll be ready to start optimizing your site and profiles to attract more local customers.

Next, I’ll show you exactly how to do that by optimizing your website for local SEO.

See this post for going in-depth on keyword research and competitor analysis.

3. On-Page SEO for Local Businesses

Once you know which keywords to target and what your competitors are doing, it’s time to optimize your website. On-page SEO ensures that search engines — and your customers — understand who you are, what you offer, and where you operate.

In this section, I’ll show you how to structure and improve your website so it supports your local SEO goals.

Optimizing Key Pages

The most important pages on your site are usually your homepage, your contact page, and your main service or product pages. Here’s what I recommend you focus on:

• Title tags & meta descriptions: Include your primary keyword and your location naturally. For example:
  Title: “Emergency Plumbing Services in Atlanta | Smith Plumbing”
  Meta description: “Fast, reliable emergency plumbing in Atlanta. Call Smith Plumbing 24/7 for leaks, clogs, and repairs near you.”
• NAP (Name, Address, Phone): Make sure your business name, address, and phone number are easy to find — ideally in your footer and on your contact page. It is very important to keep this consistent with your Google Business Profile and all other listings.
• Schema markup: Add LocalBusiness schema (learn more here) to your site so search engines can understand your business details better. This can help you appear in rich results with things like your hours, reviews, or location displayed.
• Localized landing pages (if needed): If you serve multiple locations or cities, create a separate page for each. For example:
  • /roofing-chicago
  • /roofing-naperville
    Just make sure each page has unique, useful content tailored to that specific area.

Content Strategy

Beyond optimizing your key pages, you should also create content that speaks directly to your local audience. Here are some approaches that work well:

• Localized blog posts: Write about topics relevant to your area — like seasonal tips, neighborhood events, or case studies from local projects.
• Community involvement: If you sponsor or participate in local events, highlight them on your blog or news page. This not only builds trust but also gives you an opportunity to earn local backlinks.
• Local FAQs: Address common questions your customers have — such as “What are your service hours on holidays?” or “Do you offer same-day delivery in [city]?”

Adding fresh, locally relevant content signals to search engines (and customers) that you’re an active, engaged business in the area.

When you optimize your pages and content this way, you make it easier for both Google and your customers to see that you’re the right choice in your market.

Double-down on on-page SEO with these steps to building an effective landing page.

Or fuse it with psychological principles that persuade your visitors to become your customers.

Next, I’ll walk you through how to optimize your Google Business Profile, which is just as important — if not more — than your website for local visibility.

4. Google Business Profile Optimization

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is one of the most powerful tools you have for attracting local customers. In many cases, it’s the first thing people see when they search for your business — even before they visit your website.

If you optimize it well, you can show up in the map pack, stand out from competitors, and make it easy for customers to call, visit, or contact you. Let me walk you through how I recommend you set it up and use it effectively.

Claiming and Verifying Your Profile

If you haven’t already, you need to claim your business on Google Business Profile. Follow the verification process, which usually involves Google mailing you a postcard with a verification code.

Once verified, you can start editing all the details.

Filling Out Every Section

Don’t stop at just your name, address, and phone number — Google rewards businesses that fully complete their profiles. Here’s what you should do:

• Categories: Choose the most accurate primary category for your business. You can also add secondary categories if they apply.
• Hours: Keep your business hours up to date, including holiday hours.
• Services & products: List all the services or products you offer, with descriptions and prices if applicable.
• Business description: Write a clear, keyword-rich description of what you do and where you operate. Focus on what makes you unique.
• Photos & videos: Upload high-quality photos of your storefront, team, products, and even the inside of your business. Businesses with photos get more clicks and calls than those without.

Managing Reviews

Reviews play a huge role in how people perceive your business — and in how Google ranks you. I recommend you:

• Actively ask happy customers for reviews.
• Respond to every review — both positive and negative — professionally and promptly.
• Avoid fake reviews at all costs; they can hurt you if discovered.

A steady stream of authentic reviews signals to Google and potential customers that you’re trustworthy and active.

Using Posts, Q&A, and Updates

Don’t treat your Google Business Profile like a one-time setup. You can also post updates, offers, and events — similar to social media posts — that appear directly in your profile. This keeps your profile fresh and engaging.

Monitor the Questions & Answers section, too, since customers may post questions that you can answer to help others.

When you fully optimize and regularly update your Google Business Profile, you increase your chances of ranking higher in the local map pack and turning searchers into customers.

Next, I’ll explain how to build and manage local citations, another essential part of local SEO.

Learn more about optimizing your GBP in this post.

5. Building Local Citations

Once your website and Google Business Profile are in good shape, the next step is to build local citations. Citations help search engines confirm that your business is real, trustworthy, and located where you say it is — and they also help customers discover you on platforms other than Google.

Let me explain what citations are, why they matter, and how you can manage them effectively.

What Are Citations?

A citation is any online mention of your business’s Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP). These often appear on business directories, review sites, social media platforms, and even news articles.

For example, if your business is listed on Yelp, YellowPages, or your local Chamber of Commerce website with the correct NAP, that counts as a citation.

Why Citations Matter

Citations do two things for you:

• They send clear, consistent signals to Google about where your business is located and what you offer — which can improve your local search rankings.
• They make it easier for customers to find you on multiple platforms, especially those who prefer using apps like Yelp or Bing Maps.

Inconsistent or incorrect citations, on the other hand, can confuse search engines and hurt your rankings — and frustrate customers trying to reach you.

Keeping Your NAP Consistent

Here’s what I recommend:

• Use the exact same format for your business name, address, and phone number everywhere.
  • If you use “St.” on your website, don’t write “Street” elsewhere.
  • If you include your suite number in one place, include it in all.
• Double-check all your existing listings to correct any errors or outdated information.

Where to List Your Business

Start with the most important and authoritative citation sites, including:

• Google Business Profile (already covered)
• Bing Places
• Yelp
• Apple Maps
• Facebook
• YellowPages
• Better Business Bureau
• Local Chamber of Commerce
• Industry-specific directories (like Avvo for lawyers or Zocdoc for doctors)

Beyond these, you can also use tools like BrightLocal to help you find and manage additional citations.

Auditing and Cleaning Up Existing Citations

Before you start creating new listings, I recommend you audit what’s already out there. Tools like BrightLocal can scan the web and show you where your business is listed — and whether the information is accurate.

Once you clean up any inconsistent or duplicate listings and build new ones on trusted directories, you’ll strengthen your local presence and help search engines trust your information.

Next, I’ll show you how to manage your online reputation and leverage reviews to build credibility and rank higher.

Learn more about citation building here.

6. Reviews & Reputation Management

For a local business like yours, reviews are more than just compliments — they’re a critical part of your SEO and a huge influence on whether customers choose you over your competitors.

In this section, I’ll show you how I recommend you earn, manage, and respond to reviews to build trust and improve your rankings.

Why Reviews Matter

When someone searches for your business (or your type of service) on Google, the number and quality of your reviews play a big role in:

• How high you rank in the local map pack.
• How credible and attractive you look compared to competitors.
• Whether customers actually contact you or move on to someone else.

According to BrightLocal, over 90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business.

How to Get More Reviews

If you want more reviews, you have to ask for them — but you need to do it the right way. Here’s what works:

• Ask at the right time: Right after completing a service or making a sale, when the customer is happiest.
• Make it easy: Send them a direct link to your Google Business Profile or other review platform.
• Use email or text reminders: Polite, personalized follow-ups often work well.
• I don’t recommend incentivizing: Some platforms don’t allow incentivizing reviews on their platforms, and people don’t trust you as much if they know you’re offering a perk for reviewing.

Where to Get Reviews

While Google is the most dominant, and therefore the most important platform for reviews, you shouldn’t ignore others, especially if your industry is active elsewhere. I recommend focusing on:

• Google
• Yelp (important for restaurants, salons, and service businesses)
• Facebook
• Industry-specific platforms (like Houzz, Zocdoc, Avvo, etc.)

How to Respond to Reviews

Don’t just collect reviews — engage with them. Here’s how you can handle them:

• Positive reviews: Thank the customer by name and show appreciation.
  • “Thanks so much, Sarah! I’m glad you loved the service — hope to see you again soon!”
• Negative reviews: Stay calm, acknowledge the issue, and invite them to contact you privately to resolve it.
  • “I’m sorry to hear about your experience, John. I’d like to make it right — please call me at [number] so we can talk.”

Your response isn’t just for the reviewer — it also shows other potential customers how professional and caring you are.

When you make reviews a regular part of your customer experience — asking for them, responding to them, and learning from them — you build a strong reputation that both customers and search engines notice.

Read more about online review management here.

Next, I’ll explain how to improve the technical side of your site to support all your local SEO efforts.

7. Technical SEO for Local Sites

Even if you have great content, a polished Google Business Profile, and plenty of reviews, your site still needs to perform well technically. Without a solid technical foundation, search engines might struggle to crawl, index, and rank your pages — and visitors might leave because of poor user experience.

In this section, I’ll show you the key technical areas you should focus on to support your local SEO.

Make Sure Your Site Is Mobile-Friendly

Most local searches happen on mobile devices — especially “near me” searches. If your site doesn’t look good or work well on a phone, you’re likely losing customers and hurting your rankings.

Here’s what I recommend you check:

• Text is readable without zooming.
• Buttons and menus are easy to tap.
• Pages adjust properly to different screen sizes.
• Forms work on mobile.

Improve Page Speed

People won’t wait for a slow website to load — and neither will Google. A faster site improves user experience and rankings.

Some tips that I’ve used to speed up sites:

• Compress images without sacrificing quality.
• Minimize unnecessary plugins or scripts.
• Use browser caching and a content delivery network (CDN).
• Choose reliable, fast hosting.

You can test your speed with tools like PageSpeed Insights and aim for the best possible scores.

Use HTTPS

If your site still uses plain HTTP, switch to HTTPS with an SSL certificate. Not only does it protect your visitors, but Google also prefers secure sites and may rank them higher.

Nobody trusts a site that gets marked as “insecure” or doesn’t have the padlock icon next to the name. It screams “amateur” or “fraud” to them and makes you appear illegitimate. Most hosting services where you don’t have to maintain the actual web server will have this bundled in with just about every plan you could choose.

Ensure Crawlability and Indexability

Search engines need to find and index your pages before they can rank them. Here’s what I suggest:

• Create and submit an XML sitemap in Google Search Console.
• Make sure your robots.txt file doesn’t accidentally block important pages.
• Fix broken links and redirect any outdated URLs.
• Avoid “orphan pages” — every page should be linked from somewhere on your site.

You can expedite the process of getting discovered and crawled by Google by submitting your website URL to Google Search Console. You’ll need to add a DNS record with your domain registrar to prove that you own the website.

Avoid Duplicate Content

If you serve multiple locations and create similar pages for each, make sure the content on each is unique. Duplicate or thin content can hurt your rankings. Tailor each location page with specific details about that area, such as nearby landmarks, customer testimonials from locals, or location-specific offers.

When your site runs smoothly and meets technical best practices, you make it easier for search engines to understand and rank your pages — and for customers to stay and convert.

Next, I’ll walk you through how to build local authority by earning backlinks and mentions from other trusted sites in your area.

8. Link Building for Local Authority

If you want to outrank your local competitors, you need more than just a well-optimized website — you also need other trusted websites to vouch for you. That’s where backlinks come in.

Backlinks are links from other sites pointing to yours, and they signal to search engines that your business is credible and relevant. Local backlinks, in particular, help show that you’re part of the community and deserve to rank in your area.

You might think that the citations we went over earlier will count as backlinks, and you’d technically be right — but they usually aren’t quality backlinks. They’re considered user-generated, meaning they lack authority. So they have little to no effect in how your site ranks in organic search results.

For a backlink to be considered a quality backlink, it must be part of the editorial content on a page of an authoritative website. That means content that the operator(s) of the site approve. The simplest example of authoritative sites with local relevance is your local news sites.

Here’s how I recommend you build local authority through smart link building.

Why Local Backlinks Matter

Not all backlinks are created equal. A link from a huge, national website might be valuable, but a link from a respected local site — like a newspaper, chamber of commerce, or community blog — tells Google you’re part of the local ecosystem.

Local backlinks also help you reach customers directly, since people in your community are more likely to visit those sites and see your name.

Strategies to Earn Local Backlinks

Here are some practical methods you can use:

1. Sponsor Local Events or Teams

Many community events, charity fundraisers, or youth sports teams list their sponsors on their websites (with a link). Even a modest donation can earn you a high-quality, hyperlocal backlink.

2. Join Local Organizations

Become a member of your local chamber of commerce, trade association, or business network. These often include a member directory with links to your site.

3. Collaborate With Other Businesses

You can partner with complementary businesses to offer joint promotions or guest posts on each other’s blogs — and link back to each other.

4. Get Featured in Local Media

Pitch a story to your local newspaper, radio station, or community blog about something newsworthy you’re doing — like a grand opening, special event, or charity work. These outlets often include a link to your site.

5. Create Shareable Local Content

Write blog posts or resources that other local sites would want to link to — like a guide to your neighborhood, a calendar of local events, or a how-to related to your industry.

Avoid Bad Backlinks

Be careful not to pay for spammy backlinks or join irrelevant link schemes. These can hurt your reputation and even in rare occasions lead to penalties from Google. Always focus on earning real, natural links from reputable sites in your area.

Building local authority takes time, but every high-quality backlink you earn strengthens your position in local search results and helps you stand out from the competition.

Next, I’ll show you some advanced strategies you can use to go even further and stay ahead of the curve.

See this post for a comprehensive guide on link-building.

9. Advanced Strategies

Once you’ve built a solid foundation with the basics — optimizing your site, Google Business Profile, reviews, citations, and local links — you can take things further with some advanced strategies. These tactics can help you stand out even more in competitive markets and adapt to new search trends.

Here are some of the advanced techniques I recommend.

Optimize for Voice Search

More and more people are using Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant to find local businesses. Voice searches tend to be longer and more conversational, like:

• “Where’s the best sushi restaurant near me that’s open now?”
• “Who offers same-day garage door repair in [city]?”

And with advancements being made in conversational AI models every day, it is becoming more and more common for web searches to be made using them, which have the ability to scrape deeper into sites than search engine crawlers do. Here’s what I recommend, most of which we’ve already touched on:

• Use natural, question-based language in your content and FAQs.
• Target long-tail keywords.
• Make sure your NAP and hours are accurate and easy to read aloud.

Use Social Media for Community Engagement

While social media doesn’t directly influence your rankings, it does help people discover and engage with your business, and it shows a sign of life — that your business is active and made of real people, and not a faceless corporation. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and even TikTok can amplify your local visibility and drive traffic back to your site.

Strategies for visibility on social media include:

• Tagging locations in their posts.
• Sharing behind-the-scenes content of their shop or team.
• Promoting local events and partnerships.
• Sharing the blog posts from your site, linking back to them.

Track Offline Conversions

Not every lead will fill out a form or buy online — especially in local businesses where customers call, visit, or book in person.

Here’s what you can do:

• Use call tracking numbers to see which calls came from your website or Google Business Profile.
• Encourage staff to ask customers how they heard about you and log that information.
• Track direction requests and foot traffic (Google Business Profile provides some of this data).

When you understand how your online efforts lead to real-world results, you can make smarter decisions about where to focus.

Use Analytics to Fine-Tune Your Strategy

Regardless of which tools and platforms you use to do your keyword research, citation management, review management, and all the other things we’ve went over, they all offer analytics which you can use to monitor the performance of your efforts. It’s important to continue monitoring and researching to ensure that your efforts are paying off and working for you even as time passes.

When you start incorporating these advanced strategies, you’ll have an edge over competitors who are still stuck on the basics — and you’ll be ready for where local search is heading next.

Next, I’ll wrap up with how to measure your results and keep improving over time.

10. Measuring and Improving

The work doesn’t stop once you’ve implemented your local SEO strategy — in fact, this is where the real progress happens. If you don’t measure your results, you won’t know what’s working, what needs improvement, or where new opportunities lie.

In this section, I’ll show you how I recommend you track your performance and use that data to keep getting better.

Key Metrics to Track

Here are the metrics to focus on to measure local SEO success:

• Organic traffic: How many visitors come to your site from search engines, especially those in your service area.
• Local map pack rankings: Where you appear in the map results for your target keywords.
• Clicks & calls from Google Business Profile: Google provides data on how many people clicked your website link, requested directions, or called you directly.
• Reviews & ratings: Track the number, frequency, and quality of reviews you’re getting over time.
• Conversions: This could be form submissions, phone calls, appointment bookings, or in-store visits — whatever matters most to your business.

Tools You Can Use

You don’t need to be a data scientist to track these metrics. Here are just a few widely-used tools to help you track your website’s performance:

• Ahrefs: For comprehensive insights into what you’re doing well, what can be improved, and what can be done next.
• Semrush: Similar to Ahrefs, but a toolset with a broader focus than SEO alone.
• Google Search Console: For seeing which keywords you rank for, and how often you appear in search results.
• Google Business Profile Insights: For data on map views, searches, and actions (calls, direction requests, website visits).
• BrightLocal: For tracking local rankings, citations, and reviews.
• Call tracking tools (like CallRail): To monitor which campaigns are driving calls.

Continually Testing and Optimizing

Local SEO is never “finished.” Algorithms change, competitors get better, and customer behavior evolves. That’s why I recommend:

• Checking your metrics at least monthly.
• Testing new keywords or landing page ideas.
• Keeping your Google Business Profile updated with fresh posts, photos, and accurate information.
• Looking for new citation opportunities or local backlinks.
• Continuing to ask for and respond to reviews.

Even small tweaks — like rewriting a title tag, adding a few more reviews, or improving page speed — can make a noticeable difference over time.

By measuring your progress and making adjustments as needed, you ensure that your local SEO efforts keep paying off — helping you stay visible, competitive, and connected to your customers.

Next, I’ll finish up with a brief conclusion to wrap everything together and send you off ready to act.

Conclusion

If you’ve made it this far, you already understand how powerful local SEO can be for your business — and you have a clear roadmap to start improving your visibility today.

I’ve walked you through the key strategies for showing up in local web searches: understanding how local SEO works, building a solid foundation with keywords and competitor insights, optimizing your website and Google Business Profile, earning citations and reviews, improving your site’s technical performance, building local authority through backlinks, and even exploring a couple advanced tactics like social media engagement and tracking conversions offline.

The most important thing to remember is this: local SEO isn’t a one-time project. It’s an ongoing process of showing up, staying consistent, and staying engaged with your community — both online and offline.

Start by tackling the basics and building momentum. Measure your results as you go, and keep refining your approach based on what you learn.

Your customers are already searching for what you offer. With the strategies I’ve shared here, you can make sure they find you — and choose you.

Free Local SEO Checklist

To help you get started optimizing your website for local traffic, I’ve put together this checklist that you can download entirely for free with no strings attached, which bullets what this article explains how to do. It acts as a sort of roadmap so you can stay on track when there are so many details that are easy to forget.

A Done-For-You Solution

If you find all this to be confusing, time-consuming, or just tedious, you’re not alone. You’re already running a business, and doing all this SEO stuff could be a job all by itself. That’s why I offer this exact service to owners of local businesses all over the country.

There are things in this article which I don’t do (things like social media posting and replying to customer reviews) that will necessarily remain your own responsibility; but I take all the website, review collection & curation, and SEO stuff off your plate for a monthly service fee.